Infection

Any brightly coloured fluids coming from your piercing (they may also smell sweet or just grim) are signs of infection. It is NOT the job of a piercer to treat an infection so please don’t go to them for advice. The ONLY thing they should tell you is to get to the doctor as soon as you can for antibiotic treatment. This could be oral or topical or sometimes both.

If you have recurring infections, you need to work out how bacteria is being introduced into the piercing site.

Regular cleaning is not the answer.

It is likely that touching your piercing with your fingers, your children’s fingers (children are just gross aren’t they?), a pet, your pillowcase or clothing, hats, scarves, even bathing with long nails is causing the piercing to become infected.

When you figure out the cause, take steps to minimise it and your piercing should get back to healing!

SALINE SOAKING

There is a lot of piercing advice around that suggests a good old soak with saline will solve all and any issues with a piercing. That’s not true. However, if you have the beginnings of an infection and you can’t get to the GP then a saline soak to slow the progress of the infection is a good idea.

Make up a weak saline solution with about 1/2 tsp of sea salt in a cup of boiling water…let it cool down so you don’t get burned or course…hold a soaked piece of kitchen roll on your piercing for 10 mins or so, twice a day until you can get to your doctor and that may help to stop an infection getting too bad before it can be properly treated.

You’re welcome.